corradoboy

Just watched an article on BBC's Breakfast programme discussing speed cameras and the speed re-education courses available in the Preston area instead of penalty points. Top Gears Richard Hammond was representing the common sense inteligent open minded side and some sour old trout in Wales was spouting on about how all drivers are the devil incarnate. As she waffled on about speed being the primary reason for all of societies ills and the only cause for every accident that has ever happened, even the death of the dinosaurs, a guy in the background casually strolled out into moving traffic, nipping between moving cars whilst you could clearly hear in the background that there was a pedestrian crossing within a few yards of them. I can't say I wasn't surprised that the studio presenters didn't spot it, but it seemed to ironically highlight the fact that most accidents aren't caused by speed, but stupidity and narrow mindedness. If the pedestrian had the mind to walk another few yards he could have crossed in safety, but if he had been killed crossing then all hell would have been thrown at the driver and it would have been used as yet another excuse for more Draconion enforcement of revenue generation.

Oh, and a lovely black MY03 STi went by whilst she was waffling

jaf01uk

Here here

hedgehog

84% of pedestrian accidents are officially caused by "entered the carrigeway without looking" yet the government and various groups of green anti-car nutters continue to paint a picture of careless drivers travelling at high speeds mowing down innocent and careful pedestrians.

In excess of 80% of pedestrians knocked down after dark are over the legal blood alcohol limit for driving. If the driver had been in the same state they would automatically have been prosecuted with assured loss of license and possibly job etc. While I don't want to see anyone drive with even one drink in them when was the last time you saw someone appear on your TV and tell you the actual facts? The facts are that the majority of pedestrians who are killed on our roads kill themselves.

I am a regular walker and probably walk about 10 times further than would be the national average in a year. However, the next time someone comes to your door looking your vote be sure to remind them that there are 24 million voters in the UK who are also drivers. Ask them what they are doing for us.

corradoboy

Well said hedgehog. I'm a walker too. Strangely in over 8 years at this address, no-one has ever canvassed my vote but Heaven help the 1st one that does

Chris L

I agree to - hedgehog fancy running for Parliament?

I saw the piece this morning. They are still spouting the old crap about most accidents being caused by speed (I think it is the Home Office's own figures that actually puts it at about 6%). The women in Wales was struggling a bit when she was asked that surely more training would be good for the worst offenders rather than just offering it to the ones who are a few miles an hour over the limit

Chris

hedgehog

The most recent police stats show that about 12% of accidents have "speed" as the major causal factor. What this doesn't show is that the majority of these actually happen within the posted speed limit but that the "speed" is "excess speed for the road conditions." So, in truth figures show that 3% of accidents occur at speeds in excess of the posted speed limit. The only thing that cameras help discourage is driving at speeds in excess of the posted limit and so, at best, they could only possibly address 3% of accidents.

Each year 144 people in the UK die in accidents while putting on their trousers. This is about the same number as are killed in accidents involving speeds in excess of the speed limit. The government have no plans to install safety cameras in changing rooms and bedrooms, at least until they can work out a way to make money out of it.

Essex is the county with the highest density of speed cameras and it is seeing a significant increase in fatalities on the roads, bucking a downward trend that has continued since the end of World War II. The Chief Constable in Durham, on the other hand, refuses to use speed cameras, issued 32% fewer speeding tickets last year than in the year before and has 35% fewer fatalities per vehicle km than the UK average.

The London Ambulance Service have documented that "traffic calming" in their area causes an additional 500 deaths per year. There is no clear evidence that such traffic calming has ever saved one life.

The message is loud and clear for us all to see: road safety doesn't come into it, the police, magistrates and government want our cash and the greens and PC brigade want us off the roads.

Fight now while you have the chance. I will not be running for election but don't give your vote to someone who will put you off the road.

Neil Smalley

Good article here

http://www.pistonheads.com/speed/def...p?storyId=8463

Chris L

Very well put hedgehog.

Another interesting fact that puts the 'war' on motorists in perspective is that roughly the same number of people die in this country every year from DIY related accidents. You don't see the government banning ladders or putting tighter controls on the sale and use of power tools......

Chris

Chris L

Good link Neil. When you see some of the evidence and in particular the excellent material from Paul Smith (SafeSpeed), it really makes you think. People have been tricked and coerced into believing exactly what the government wants them to believe.

Chris

Leslie

Another point of course which is played on by the authorities, is that of class distinction between pedestrians and car drivers. Car drivers for some indefinable reason are looked on as in some kind of upper class while pedestrians are regarded as poorer and thus deserve sympathy regardless of whether their gross carelessness and inattention was the cause of an accident. The behaviour of pedestrians around here, especially in the holiday season,is little short of suicidal. They walk along the road in preference to the footpath, totally ignore traffic when it is trying to use the roads which are narrow around here, and step off the pavement into the road with their backs to the traffic and without looking first. Should there be a close encounter with a car then it is always regarded as the driver's fault even when it is patently nothing to do with the way he was driving.

Les